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Mmmm … pumpkin. Is there anything that conjures stronger images of Fall-ish, childhood fun? Halloween, jack o’ lanterns, the homey smell of your mom’s pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving … these things are indelibly ingrained in our psyches. Their very thoughts can instantly transport us to cozy days spent with family and friends, sitting comfortably next to roaring fireplaces, basking in the warmth of their company.

For many people I’ve met, the only pumpkin they’ve ever eaten has been in pie. There’s nothing wrong with this, to be sure; good pumpkin pie is one of the best things in the world. But if you’ve only ever had pumpkin this way, you are really missing out. Pumpkin bread & muffins, warmed with butter, are among my favorite comfort foods. Pumpkin doughnuts (ohhh, yes) are scrumididdlyumptious. A favorite of my kids is homemade pumpkin pancakes (I promise to get to that very soon!). I’ve even had a wonderful pumpkin risotto served with toasted pecans. Incredibly versatile, pumpkin can be incorporated into a host of foods, whether they’re for breakfast, lunch or dinner. One of my favorite ways to serve it is in pasta.

My family are big-time pasta eaters, so I’m always trying out new ways of fixing it (tomato sauces start to get boring after a while). Trying to capture the flavors of Fall, I started to stir. To tweak, to spice. A little salt here, a little cinnamon there. Maybe a little cream? Sure! Why not? What I came up with was this, and it’s become a must-have staple in my house:

Rigatoni with Pumpkin & Italian Turkey Sausage

Ingredients

1 pound Rigatoni
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 pound sweet Italian turkey sausage
1 medium-sized yellow onion, chopped fine (Vidalia or Maui onions are great for this!)
3 cloves chopped garlic
1 bay leaf
1/2 tablespoon sage
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup pumpkin puree (you know you have at least three cans in your pantry)
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground nutmeg
Kosher salt
Freshly-ground black pepper
Freshly-grated/shaved Romano or Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Once boiling**, add a healthy dose of salt to the water and cook rigatoni until just before “al dente” (the pasta will cook a bit more once it’s added to the sauce), about 6 minutes.

**Did you know that adding salt to your pot before the water boils can damage your cookware? It can.

In a separate, deep saucepan, heat olive oil over a medium-high flame. Add chopped onion and saute until it’s translucent & a little bit caramelized. Add chopped garlic & saute until golden, being careful not to let it burn (burned garlic does not taste good … not even a little). Remove sausages from their casings and add meat to the onion & garlic mixture. Brown thoroughly. Add bay leaf, sage and wine and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the wine is reduced by about half. Add chicken broth, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, and nutmeg; stir until mixed well. Add heavy cream, Kosher salt & freshly-ground pepper (to taste) and stir to combine.

Add cooked pasta to the sauce, then toss to coat evenly. Serve piping hot with lots of freshly-grated Romano (just my preference — Parmesan is certainly a fine choice!) cheese and a glass of nice, dry white wine (this is complemented nicely by Riesling, but you choose your favorite!) and ENJOY!

Explore the wonderfully wide culinary world of pumpkin. It’s big, it’s bright, it’s orange … but most importantly, it’s DELICIOUS.

When she’s not minding her pumpkin patch (which is among the most sincere out there), Melissa DelGaudio is the principal at Honeybee Consulting, a full-service copywriting, marketing & public relations firm based in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. She can often be found Twitter, where she tries to carve out illuminating conversations. Be sure to pay her a visit!

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There are times in life where having a nice cut of beef for dinner is great but then there is the time when you have the tri-tip trifecta. What is the tri-tip trifecta you ask? It starts with a glorious cut of beef stuffed with sausage and two types of cheeses. This my friend, is something of glory. By no means is this meal my “last meal” but it comes pretty damn close. It all started one summer evening over drinks, we were talking about how one could make one great meal even better, that’s when I heard about the tri-tip trifecta. My friend Nicolette told us what it was and when we heard about it our mouths watered, we almost went to the market to make it right then.

We first tried with two different tri-tips, one stuffed with mild italian sausage and the other with hot italian sausage; the hot was better. We used sharp, white english cheddar and gouda; both were awesome. The first time we tried it we made an amazing coffee-based rub for it, it was amazing but we thought we could do better. The second time we replicated the trifecta and made a brown sugar and scotch wet rub; this was absolutely ethereal.

The best part about the trifecta if done right is that both meat flavors are balanced well, the cheeses are strong but not overpowering and the rub will be tasted subtly in every bite. This is a meal you should come hungry to, you should skip lunch, maybe even breakfast. The trifecta needs to be paired with something great to drink, I decided to pair it with a nice 18 year old scotch, pair it right and you will not be disappointed. As amazing as the trifecta was, it needed to be balanced with fingerling potatoes and grilled asparagus. This mixture was the right amount of texture, starch, and love. As we gathered around the table to eat there was moment of silence as each person was served, it wasn’t in awe of the trifecta itself but that the complexity and fullness of the meal just made sense. Everyone ate pausing for moments, to understand and take in all of the flavors that was being presented in an almost perfect succession. This meal wasn’t fancy, it wasn’t a Michelin star dish, it was simple cooking perfected by people who really love the journey and the taste of food. By people who love sharing their lives around the table one meal at a time. The tri-tip trifecta brought us to the table but we stayed because of each other. Make it, enjoy it, love your friends and family.

Ingredients

Rub
1/3 cup molasses
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp paprika
3 tbsp chili powder
3 tbsp garlic powder
3 tbsp onion powder
2 tsp crushed coriander
pepper and salt to taste
1/2 cup fine scotch (the better the scotch, the better the rub)

Trifecta
3lbs. tri-tip
2lbs. hot italian sausage
1/2lb. sharp white cheddar
1/2lb. gouda
kitchen string

Preparation

Rub
Mix contents until fully mixed, this is all about your personal taste, I started with small quantities until I found something I liked. I like heat and scotch so my recipe definitely reflects that, rework accordingly.

Trifecta
Make two cuts along the side of the tri-tip, almost like you’re going to butterfly it. You’ll have essentially two pockets, this works better as the tri-tip stays together better.
Cut the sheathing off the sausage and remove it. Stuff the sausage into the two pockets.
Cut cheese into small cubes, mix and stuff. (At this point the tri-tip should be about twice it’s original size)
Tie the tri-tip so it holds everything in, you don’t want the cheese melting out onto the grill or your oven.
Apply the rub evenly and allow it to rest for at least an hour before cooking.
Cook at 350 until desired doneness is achieved.

While not one of my healthiest recipes, this is surely one of my favorites… (it’s a family tradition too!)

Traditional Italian Sausage Recipe

Ingredients

1 package (5) fresh Italian sausage
1 can of Tomato Sauce
1 can of diced Rold Gold tomatoes
1 can of Italian paste
1 onion, diced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
5 crusty rolls

Preparation

1. Poke three holes on each side of each sausage
2. Place sausages in water and bring to a boil
3. Once the water boils, bring to a simmer (low to med heat) for 30 minutes
4. Place sausages in a crock pot and pour the sauce, rold gold diced tomatoes and italian paste on top
5. Mix the sauce, add the diced onion and dash with salt and pepper to taste
6. Put crock pot on high and bring to a boil (approximately one hour)
7. Once boiling, change the temperature to low and let the sausages site for at least 6 – 8 hours (10-12 is best)

Enjoy with crusty rolls!

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